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Mini deletes center rail in Countryman, Paceman

When Mini first introduced the Countryman, it only came as a four-seater, with a center rail between the two seats that could house things like cup holders and could be slid back and forth. Buyers could even opt for a full-length center rail that ran from just aft of the gear shifter all the way back between the rear seats, like we did in our long-term 2011 Cooper S Countryman All4, shown above.
Shortly after the Countryman's launch, Mini was able to offer the vehicle with a proper rear bench seat; the company could not offer this at launch due to NHTSA guidelines that governed the minimum vehicle width for three-person seating, but those rules were changed. And now, we've received official confirmation of something we reported last year: the Countryman is losing its center rail and four-person seating arrangement altogether. Moving forward, buyers will only be able to spec a Countryman with the bench seat, and a cup holder will be affixed to the back of the forward cabin's center console.
The larger-but-smaller Paceman will also be losing the center rail between its rear seats, but the car will remain a four-seater, instead having a console between the two rear seats that houses a cup holder, an iPod cozy and a 12-volt outlet, according to USA Today.

Mini and John Cooper Works floating hub caps are factory fresh accessories

Much of the allure of a Mini is tied to its iconic style and design. Beyond the legendary shape of the Mini Cooper, the company is heavy into unique details that celebrate the brand's heritage. Features such as Union Jack taillamps scream, "Look, I'm British!" while a new accessory inches even closer to the nose and says, "Look, I'm a Mini!" Literally, these new self-leveling hub caps read, "MINI" or "John Cooper Works."  Floating, or self-leveling, hub caps are not new, but they're new to the Mini Original Accessory store. For those who are unaware, these items use weights in the front of the center cap and a "flexible connection to the wheel hub extension" to keep the outermost part of the cap in one position. That position keeps whatever script is written on the cap horizontal and visible to all onlookers.  Mini says the standard wheel covers are easily removed and can quickly be changed out for these floating caps. The Mini cap takes uses a simple black background with chrome trim and script while the John Cooper Works caps have a black background, red outline, and silver, black, and red logo in the center. Both options are available for order at Mini dealerships, Mini partners, or at Mini's online shop for about $78 (Mini) or $93 (JCW). Auto News Design/Style MINI Parts and Accessories Performance

Watch Chris Harris take a 360° tour of the new Top Gear track

For the new series of the BBC's Top Gear, the familiar test track has been reimagined. Gone is the Astra that the celebrities used to bash around the track, replaced by a rallycross Mini. And what better way to get acquainted to the new track than a 360° video of a lap around the track? It's even presented to us by the Top Gear Chris we like, Chris Harris! Harris gets the Mini fantastically sideways on the asphalt sections, and gives it some stick through the gravel sections and splashes of water. It's a bumpy ride tailored for the kitted-out Mini – even if one can't help but wonder if it would be better television to see a fish-out-of-water car like a humdrum, front-wheel-drive Astra thrashed through the course instead. The Mini almost has it too easy, even if celebrity drivers will surely find the track hard to master. As a note of functionality, the video will only play as intended if you are using Google Chrome, says Top Gear. News Source: YouTube/BBC Top GearImage Credit: BBC Top Gear Celebrities Motorsports TV/Movies MINI Videos chris harris chris evans top gear test track